Five predictions for the upcoming year

Instagram accidentally changed everyone's feed design for 17 minutes

A small test of a horizontal feed design with no vertical scrolling (similar to the Instagram Stories feed) went live for all users this week.

Instagram tested design changes in this direction internally in October and with most photos now being shared on Instagram Stories, looking over the original design makes sense.

However, the changes sparked an extensive debate among users. And Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, clarified that the update was more of a broad test that reached more users than expected. But naturally, rumours now claim they pulled back the update because of the massive complaints from users during the 17 minutes it was live.

5 predictions for the upcoming year

Are you prepared for 2019? Five trends you should know about is:

1. The importance of first-party data will increase. Since we collect, store, process, analyse and use an increasing amount of data to communicate with customers, data management platforms like CDPs become increasingly important. However, relying on third-party and second-party data about your customers is becoming a risk, and in 2019, we will see more investment in learning about them firsthand.
2. A larger share of your clients will quit social media in 2019 than ever before. The discussion about privacy will intensify, and we will see more federal laws and consumer activism to change the status quo.
3. Mobile speeds are getting much faster as 5G becomes available. This change will significantly impact adtech, leading us to expect larger volumes of data and new ad mediums and creative approaches.
4. Personalisation will be AI-powered, and the demand will increase. Surveys show that younger consumers are more receptive to advertising that is not only personalised, but that reflects their sense of style. Additionally, both Millennials and Gen Z shoppers don't mind sharing personal information, as long as they receive experiences they consider valuable in return.
5. Last-click attribution will be extended to include the entire customer journey. It’s no longer only the final click before a sale that matters when understanding how to keep customers engaged.

IAB has created a standard to measure podcasts

Advertisers and platforms can now obtain a certification confirming compliance with IAB guidelines. The certification establishes a standard set of ad metrics for podcasts, including downloads, listeners, and ad delivery.

Podcasting has experienced exponential growth over the last couple of years, and 2017 revenue reached $314 million. But for marketers to adequately analyse and optimise the ads they are running, there has been a need for server-side standard metrics and measurements. This is what IAB has put in place now.